Ice-cracker.



No. 861,415. PATENTED' JULY so, 1907. H. WILD.

ICE GRAGKBR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. 1905:

3 vwe M1501,

3% AWQ atto'anug J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD WILD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ICE-ORACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD WILD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Crackers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to means for cracking ice into relatively small lumps or pieces for table use.

It is well known to persons who have had experience in breaking or reducing ice into small pieces for use, for instance in tumblers, in serving'iced tea or ice-water merely, that it is quite troublesome to crack the ice into anything like uniform lumps of a desirable size by the use of an ordinary ice pick or cutter.

It is the object of my invention to provide an icecracker of a form and construction that will overcome the trouble mentioned and also hold the points that effeet the cracking firmly .in the handle.

The invention consists of an ice cracker or breaker having a row of relatively fine points set and held in a handle so that they can be pressed against lumps of ice and crack the same into relatively small and uniform pieces. The mode of holding the points in the handle is such as to give a uniform clamping effect to the enthe length of the point included between the two clamping surfaces.

My invention will first be described in view of the annexed drawings, forming a part of this specification, and then be pointed out with distinctness and particularity in the concluding claims.

Of the said drawing, Figure l is an elevation of my improved ice-cracker. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is an end view.

Similar numerals of reference designate similar parts or features, as the case may be, whereverthey occur.

In the drawings, 10 designates the handle forming an integral part of and extending in the same plane with the pin-holding head 11. The elements mentioned are composed of iron and are somewhat in the nature of the handles and holders of ice-picks in common use, excepting that in the present case the said parts or elements are divided flatwise so as to clamp the points 12 between them, and in order that they may be held against being moved longitudinally or transversely I make a substantially half-round groove 13 in one part and a bead or rib 14 of similar shape on the other part, bending or shaping the shanks of the points accordingly so that they may fit over said bead when placed thereon.

The points 12 are made of such a length that a goodly portion of the shanks may extend to the rear of the bead in order that the surfaces of the pin-holding head from the tail end 16 of the shanks of the pins to the front end or edge of the head will be parallel when clamped upon the pins, and hence the frictional effect of the clamps will be uniform along the entire portion of the pins acted upon by the clamps. If the pins terminated at the bead or rounded rib, there would be a tendency for the clamps to grasp the pins closely at their rear ends, but to be spread apart toward and at their forward edge so as not to be held so firmly along that line.

In practice the clamping faces of the pin-holding head will be provided with grooves of such form that they will insure their being held firmly in place.

A screw 17 is employed to clamp the parts together on the pins, and, if need be, several screws may be used for the purpose.

It is proposed to use pins of blued steel and to have them as fine as circumstances will permit. The lumps of ice will be placed in a wooden tray or receptacle formed from other substance or material and by simply pressing the points on the ice through the medium of p the handle, the former can be cracked into pieces as small as desired, and of practically uniform size, and, beside, the work can be carried on with little noise and without scattering particles of ice about the floor.

What is claimed as the invention, is

An ice-cracker consisting of a handle and pin-holding head extending in the same plane, divided fiatwise and havingclumping surfaces, one divided part being provided with a head or half-round rib and. the other part having a groove of similar form, and a row of relatively fine blued steel pins extending in the direction of the handle having a half-round bend formed in their shanks adapted to fit over the said rib with a portion of their shanks extending rearwardly from the said rib, and a screw for clamping the divided parts together.

In testimony whereof, I allix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HOWARD WILD.

Witnesses D. WILER, WM. RoTHnnMAn. 

